Wheels

How do you know it's time to buy a new car?   

When you want to get better gas mileage?

When your car is getting older?

When it starts to creak a bit?

When your present car still has some trade-in value?
When you are spending a good bit on repairs?

Whenever you darn well feel like it?

Please note:

Cars shown are for illustrative purposes only.  In an effort to reduce wantiness, I have chosen to show only cars we can't get here in the States!

Not a New Year's Resolution

 Awesome card from an old friend!

We aren't usually big fans of New Year's resolutions around here.  I can remember making exactly two.  One year I resolved to always have fresh flowers in the house.  That lasted until about April, and then I decided to save my money.  Another year we resolved to have "table time" every day--either have dinner at the dining room table or play a game or something.  That only lasted until about mid-February, because our schedules are all over the place.  Neither one of us was wild about compulsory table time at 11 pm, and sometimes that was the only time we had to do it. 

So this isn't a New Year's resolution.  Yes, it started on January 1st, but that is just a coincidence. 

Simply put, we are buying "no-thing new" for the next three months.  For now, I'm not going to get into a big, long-winded explanation about how this came about, but I will share about that later.  The parameters:

We are starting with a week-long fiscal fast, as championed by the Ultimate Cheapskate, Jeff Yeager.  We will spend no money.  None.  Well, okay, if one of us needs cold medicine or we run out of kitten food or gas, we will make allowances, but other than that, nope, those wallets are staying closed.  We are looking at this as a kind of detox.  Instead of cleaning out our colons, we're purifying ourselves for a new approach to spending...or not spending.

Once this week is over, we will enter what I think of as the "no-thing new" zone.  I'm using the words very deliberately.  No-thing means we're focusing on things.  Buying food is fine.  Paying for entertainment (as I'll explain later) is fine.  But things?  Those we'll try to do without.  And if we decide there is something we really want, we will not buy it new.  We'll check thrift shops, craigslist, freecycle, or ask our friends, but buying new is not an option. 

Notice I said "something we really want."  Anything that's a true necessity (toilet paper, toothpaste, tires for the car) is exempt.  And, trust me, we are not going to be loosey goosey about calling things necessities! 

The purpose of all this is to be more mindful of our spending.  The rules probably aren't comprehensive and could be open to interpretation, but we're counting on our consciences to keep us in line.  As long as it gets us actively thinking about what, when, and how we spend, it will be a success.

Here is my first little success story!  We usually receive several free calendars, and we use one to keep track of gym visits with stickers.  I know it sounds really juvenile, but it works for keeping us accountable.  This year we didn't get a single calendar.  Ordinarily, I would have bought one.  I wouldn't have spent much, either a dollar at the dollar store or even less at the thrift shop, but this year even that was out.  An alternative would have been to print one, and there are a lot of very attractive printable calendars out there, but our printer is not working right, and I didn't feel like fighting with it.  So, I just got out a piece of paper and a ruler and made one!  It isn't a groundbreaking achievement or anything, but it is a nice little symbol of the project.  :)

Speaking of the project...any suggestions on what I can call it?  No-Thing New is the default right now, but it doesn't really have a ring to it.  Anyone?

Fiscal Fasting Reflections

Think there isn't much to say about not spending money? Au contraire.

We are on day three of the Fiscal Fast, and I have lots to share! As advised by the Ultimate Cheapskate himself, Jeff Yeager, my husband and I have taken some time each night to reflect on our days without spending. Ger's reaction so far? "It's been pretty easy." Here are some details:

Day One: Right out of the gate, we both screwed up. Gerry walked into the house that night carrying a bundle of shirts from the laundry. I was hoping they'd been in his car and he just hadn't brought them inside, but that wasn't the case. "Did you pay MONEY for those?" I asked. Yep. After taking pains to pack a lunch, make his morning coffee at home, and tote along a reusable water bottle, Ger picked up his shirts without giving it a second thought. But that's okay, because we can learn from that. That's money we've been spending without giving it a second thought. For my part, I made a donation that was important to me. It was an exception that had to be made.

Day Two: Yesterday, we were determined to get back on track. I talked to my mom and told her about the FF, and she responded with a shocked, "How can you not spend any money for a WEEK? What if you need BREAD?" I kid you not, her mind went immediately to bread. I assured her we would survive this famine by eating English muffins from the freezer and, if I was lucky, Ger's homemade bread. Thus calmed, she went on to ask me to pick up three yards of scotty dog flannel at JoAnn's. I must have hesitated just a bit too long, because she then said, "You can do that. I'll pay you back." Okay, I can't say no to my mother.

Later on Day Two I came to the sudden realization that mom was right to be worried about BREAD. Yes, we could just bake a loaf or whip up some biscuits...if our oven wasn't broken. It died on Sunday night while heating up Super Bowl snacks, and I guess in all the excitement we forgot that little detail. The good news is that the stove is still under warranty. The bad news is that we ordinarily eat a lot of bread. Tonight we had pancakes. The next hurdle is going to be cheese. I am getting very low on cheese.

Day Three: Like a good daughter, I ventured into JoAnn's to look for my mom's flannel. Like a bad Fiscal Faster, I took along a coupon which could not be used on the flannel. Ahem. Just what did I think I was doing? Buying something? But...but...it was good for $5 off any regularly priced item of $5 or more! I could get something for FREE! Did I do it? No. I was good. I reminded myself of all the stuff I have at home already--the very same stuff I'm STILL trying to get organized--and walked out without buying a thing for myself. Yay, me!

Fiscal Fasting

I've tied a string around my wallet to remind me that this is the week of our first Fiscal Fast. Fiscal Fasting is the brainchild of Jeff Yeager, also known as The Ultimate Cheapskate. I've recently read his two books, The Ultimate Cheapskate's Roadmap to True Riches and The Cheapskate Next Door, and I really like his approach. The books aren't full of money saving tricks like washing out Ziploc bags and cutting dryer sheets in half. Instead of tip books, they are mindset books. It's about knowing when you have enough and enjoying what you have.

The idea of Fiscal Fast appealed to me as a good way to focus on using and enjoying what we already have. The idea is to spend nothing for a full week. If a need arises, you make do. If it's entertainment you seek, it has to be free. No eating out. No shopping for ingredients. Open up those kitchen cupboards and see what you can create out of what's already there. Break out the board games. Use the library.

Want to read more? Google Books provides excerpts of both books. If you click here and then arrow ahead to page 25, you can read the entire section about Fiscal Fasting for free!

I've been considering a FF for a few weeks, but the decision to start one today was really a last minute thing. While Gerry and I were out running errands, I snuck a look at the gas gauge--full--and we'd just been to the pet store for cat food and litter, so it seemed like a good time to do this. (Those are three things for which there are no substitutes!) We already had a small list of things we needed from the store, so I figured I'd let that play out and then tell Gerry about my plan. I think he was wondering why I resisted not only the beautiful cut hydrangeas in the floral department, but also the cute football-shaped doughnut in the bakery. Once we were out of the store and the potential for stockpiling was past, I declared the Fast. Let the Fasting begin!